Fit for the future: climate trees for the home garden

In recent years, we have been increasingly confronted with extreme weather events, even in our latitudes: rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells, heavy rainfall and summer storms. It is becoming increasingly apparent that some native tree species are not (or no longer) able to cope with this, meaning that the state of the forests is more threatening than ever. First and foremost, this is a problem for forestry, but many trees in domestic gardens are also no longer healthy and stable. We now need to find alternatives to spruce, beech and the like - for the great outdoors as well as for parks, home gardens and allotments.

Climate trees for the home garden, for example, must not grow too tall. They should have ornamental aspects such as lush blossoms in spring or attractive autumn colors and also provide a habitat for birds and insects. Climate trees are drought-tolerant and generally do not make any particular demands on their location. Some species can also tolerate strong winds as they have very deep roots and an extremely dense fibrous root system. What's more, some climate trees, including the bladder ash, are also suitable for urban climates in that they are "smoke-hardy", i.e. insensitive to air pollution and exhaust fumes.